Author Paul Pilkington

Publisher: Amazon

ASIN: B08HY7M9X2

A detective handles a new case that confounds the whole department. As he digs into the clues, an older crime he investigated finds its way back into his routine with dangerous implications. Author Paul Pilkington returns with the third book in his Paul Cullen Mysteries series in the fast-paced satisfying book Dead Ahead.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Cullen knows that his work as a member of the British Transport Police is never done. Tasked with keeping Londoners and tourists safe on the city’s mass transit system, it’s rare that he has a slow day. Robbery, indecent exposure, accidents—all of these things and more fall under his jurisdiction.

He’s hoping that his public safety initiative, Operation Archangel, will stem some of the crime. By enlisting the help of the commuting public to keep one another safe, he feels like his job is made a little easier but not by much. For every passenger who speaks up about an incident of harassment on London’s subway system, there are more creeps getting their kicks by using the close proximity of public transportation to molest people.

Occasionally, though, Cullen does get called away to other types of cases, and his latest one is just that. A body has been found on the tracks of a freight train line. The man has no identification. The only thing in his pocket is a cryptic note that reads, “Soon everyone will know what you really are!”

The first cops on the scene determine that the man didn’t die on the tracks. His casual outfit, more suited for a night at home, and the evidence at the scene suggest as much. Without more information to go on at the moment, Cullen thinks he and DI Marianne McGuire will have their work cut out for them.

To Cullen and McGuire’s surprise, a woman reports her husband missing and it turns out to be their victim from the tracks. Cullen learns he was local school teacher Michael Gossage, and the case immediately becomes more clear and more complicated. Who would want to harm a 35-year-old history teacher?

Cullen begins the painstaking work of sifting through evidence, following his own gut and McGuire’s hunches as they try to retrace Michael’s last hours and the people in his life. Complications arise in the case as well as on other fronts. Cullen’s supervisor, Maggie Ferguson, tells him that Operation Archangel is going to be shut down. In the meantime, someone connected to an earlier case decides they’re ready for revenge. As Cullen works through the mysterious death of the history teacher, he’ll have to stay alert to avoid further trouble or worse.

Author Paul Pilkington returns with his trademark cliffhanger style in this latest thriller. Building on previous books in the series, Pilkington continues to build his complicated, flawed protagonist. The more time readers spend with Cullen, the more they’ll want to root him on. However, he doesn’t always make the best decisions or react with confidence or speed, which makes him feel grounded and real.

While Pilkington’s talent in the genre was established early with his Emma Holden trilogy, this newest series shows he has cliffhanger endings for chapters almost down to a science. The author’s growth in writing allows for a more thoughtful approach while still keeping readers up late into the night. Cullen has to balance his personal life and his professional one, and Pilkington does an admirable job showing the juxtaposition.

The references to Long Gone, the first book in the series, feel distracting from time to time. Tertiary characters from the first book get more time and space on the page in this latest Cullen installment. Some readers might appreciate Pilkington tying up loose ends; others might find themselves getting impatient to return to Cullen and his latest case.

Regardless, Pilkington doesn’t linger too long with the other characters, and his newest protagonist does him proud. Those who enjoy thrillers will like this one. I recommend readers Bookmark Dead Ahead.